Volume 3 Chapter 159 The Chain Of Sorrow
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After having Linca’s Mizuchi and Sarah’s Beetle Golem prepare their defenses, everyone rode Nue and headed toward the Great Forest. Even without disturbances from the Bloodsucking Kind, the journey that usually took a whole day by horse was completed in just two hours thanks to Nue’s incredible speed in flight.
Worrying that flying without Linca’s ‘Wall’ spell would mean facing harsh winds and cold air, they decided to land just outside the nostalgic Great Forest.
Natra and Rufna touched down on the muddy ground in front of the trees, and finally, Sarah and Linca dismounted from Nue.
”I wonder if the Mizuchi is doing okay,” Sarah asked, glancing around.
”For now, there’s no sign it’s broken into the temple,” Linca replied calmly. “If we rely on the alliance’s will, we still have time to act.”
”That’s not what I mean. Has your giant snake eaten the Wolfmen inside the temple yet?”
”That kind of mistake won’t happen,” Linca said firmly.
”Well, that’s a relief… My Beetle Golem can’t handle something that big,” Sarah muttered.
Kian, overhearing their conversation, quickly checked his hair and armor for any dirt. Eleonora, being from a noble family, cared deeply about appearances. She had reminded him several times before, so even on this expedition, Kian felt he should keep himself clean.
Halfway through, Natra handed Kian a towel to wipe the mud off his ‘Silver Ice’ leg armor. Nearby, Rufna, who was conjuring a resting space with her magic bow, suddenly looked at Kian as if she’d just remembered something.
”By the way, Master, have you gotten a bit cooler?” she asked.
”My face looks the same,” Kian replied.
”No, you’ve shaved your beard neatly and your hair is well-groomed now. You don’t look sloppy anymore.”
”Is that so?”
”Now that you mention it, that’s true. Without regular grooming, Sir Kian wouldn’t care about his looks at all. Is this thanks to Lady Sarah?”
”It’s not me. It’s this woman,” Sarah said, pointing at Linca, who looked bored.
”Since meeting this woman, Kian started removing body hair, grooming properly, and bathing more often. Honestly, it’s embarrassing how much effort he puts into looking good.”
”Being clean is good. If you look like a vagrant, others will look down on you.”
”Vagrant, huh.”
”Lady Linca, some things are okay to say, and some aren’t, even if they’re true.”
”Even Natra!? Damn, I want to complain, but I was actually a ‘garbage scavenger’ once.”
”The one who said that will regret it later. Tell me,” Rufna said.
”Let’s make him regret speaking ill of Sir Kian for life. If I tear the nerves in his dominant arm, he’ll understand that speaking carelessly brings disaster.”
”Eh!? Both of you, please stop…”
”Stop with the barbaric threats. Master looks confused.”
Sarah took out a small bottle with transparent liquid from her waist pouch.
”Kian, want some perfume?”
”I’m fine. I’m not a western noble.”
”Ah, even men who pay attention to scent are wonderful.”
Linca pulled out a beautifully designed bluish glass bottle and smiled.
”Eh? Eh?”
The two women with their perfume bottles approached Kian. If he accepted, he would have to choose between Sarah’s or Linca’s scent, which was an awkward dilemma, so he politely declined.
Thankfully, Rufna intervened. “It’s fine. Let’s unload supplies from Nue,” she said, saving Kian from trouble.
”Tch, did he escape?”
”Hehe… next time, I’ll make you use the scent I personally crafted,” Linca teased.
Kian felt the sharp gazes of the two, along with Natra’s piercing look from behind. The feeling was worse than last time, and his stomach churned.
Later, while preparing simple meals like oatmeal, Kian spotted Linca’s Yatagarasu flying in from behind thick green trees. The bird carried a bearded man in Guild exploration gear on its back.
As the Yatagarasu landed on the flattened ground, the man fell off and tumbled down, looking dirty and ragged.
Kian recognized him immediately.
He was a senior from Priscilla’s Academy and the supervisor of Kian’s Lower-rank Adventurer exam—a Guild magician they had worked with before at Cockley, Clay Village to the north.
”Mr. John!” Kian called out.
”Haha. Hey, Lord Kian,” the man—John Ellis—said, his neck marked with bite wounds that looked human. Though the bleeding had stopped, he was sweating heavily, his face pale.
Rufna, Sarah, and Linca quickly changed their expressions and approached John.
”In the shallow part of the forest, at the lake… Lady Eleonora and the others are fighting a monster. Please help them,” John gasped.
”Understood. Natra, let’s go,” Rufna said.
”Yes!”
”And also…” John looked up at Rufna with bloodshot eyes, gasping painfully.
”Kill me now. Otherwise… I might bite you.”
”What do you mean?” Kian frowned.
”It’s poison,” Rufna explained briefly. “He’s infected with a type of mushroom that grows in dark, damp places like swamps and forests.”
”What!?”
”No doubt about it.” Rufna touched the wound on John’s neck, sniffed, then checked his mouth and eyes. “It’s a necrotrophic fungus that usually feeds on dead matter but can infect the living. It spreads through the body, kills cells, and decays them, turning the host into a breeding ground.”
”Will he be okay?”
”I don’t know. The bite is on the neck… The fungus may have already reached his brain.”
”Was this bite from a monster that spreads the fungus? It looks like a human bite.”
Rufna shook her head. “The transmitter is a living being infected by the fungus to the brain. In this case, he was bitten by a human.”
”I’ll eliminate the fungus,” Linca said, activating her ‘Penetration’ magic.
”First, I’ll neutralize the toxins, then kill the mycelium. Rufna, please guide me.”
”Alright.”
”Sir Kian, let’s rescue Lady Eleonora! If we delay, everyone will be wiped out.”
”I’m coming too,” Sarah said, setting down her water barrel and rolling up her sleeves.
”Lady, it’s that ‘thing’ we saw in the forest,” Rufna said seriously to Natra.
Natra nodded. “I understand. I won’t let my guard down.”
”What do you mean by ‘thing’?”
”I’ll explain while we run. Sir Kian, Lady Sarah, I’ll lead. Follow me,” Natra said, drawing her thorny magic sword and slashing through the thick greenery with a mass attack of shadow thorns.
* * *
According to Natra, while passing through the Great Forest, they encountered a monster the locals feared and called the ‘Evil spirit of the forest.’
Whether it truly was the ‘Evil spirit’ was unknown, but it matched the descriptions the locals gave: a ghostly woman covered in filthy flies, with scabby, repulsive skin.
Rufna and Natra had met that monstrous woman while camping at night.
Natra and Rufna quickly crushed the embers beneath their feet and hid in the shadows of the grass and trees. The woman, searching for life’s scent, shook her branch-like neck and wriggled her mummified nose, but eventually disappeared deeper into the forest, leaving only buzzing flies behind.
”From what I’ve heard, it’s a truly unpleasant enemy,” Sarah said as she ran behind Kian.
”Yes. I wasn’t sure if we’d survive a fight. I thought the thorn magic sword could subdue it, but I avoided the attack, worried about failure. I believe my judgment was right, but…”
”Were there any footprints?” Kian asked.
Natra followed the path they had cleared a week ago. “No.”
”Did it glow?”
”Yes. A faint green light.”
”What about smell?”
”The smell of rotting flesh.”
”I see… That’s likely a ‘Pesta.’”
”‘Pesta’?” Sarah repeated, “Sounds like pasta.”
”If you knew what ‘Pesta’ can do, you wouldn’t think that.”
Pesta is a wraith-type monster like Night Wraiths, living by sucking life force. Most of its body is spirit, so physical attacks don’t affect it, but it’s weak to fire and purification.
Unlike Night Wraiths, Pesta spreads disease.
It controls flies and rats with pheromones and curses, using them to contaminate the area. It collects life force and rotting flesh from weak creatures and corpses to feed itself.
No one knows exactly how Pesta arises, but Guild records say powerful magicians with strong egos or deep regrets in life sometimes become Pesta instead of Night Wraiths.
Because of this, Pesta rarely appears in wars, but when it does, it spreads disease and piles up corpses.
”For Pesta, any disease source is good for symbiosis. It’s recorded to cause diseases with bloody stools and blackened limbs leading to death. This time, it seems to have a symbiotic relationship with fungi that consume rotting flesh.”
Natra, Sarah, Rufna, and Linca—all Night Wraiths or of special races—are naturally resistant to poison and decay.
For Kian, as a vampire, fungal spores would drain his life force, killing him, but toxins should metabolize harmlessly.
”If I’d made a mistake, I might have become Pesta,” Natra joked.
”Don’t say scary things like that,” Sarah replied.
”If Lady Sarah had become Pesta, not just Châtillon but even Azrael coastal city would have been wiped out. Maybe Châtillon and Azrael would have teamed up to hunt down the Night Crier.”
”In that case, I’d be erased without resurrection. I’m glad I turned into a cute Night Wraith.”
Kian swallowed back a retort about how ‘Night Crier’ wasn’t cute.
”What puzzles me is why Pesta is holed up in this forest. If it went to the swamp, there’d be no problems with war, food, or fungal cultivation.”
”Wasn’t it originally in the swamp? But the Bloodsucking Kind overflowed, making rotting meat hard to get. Even if it killed with poison, Cain’s kind resist toxins well.”
”So, it’s the ecosystem being disrupted?”
”Probably.”
As Kian nodded, sounds of battle drifted from beyond the forest. The smell of decaying leaves and fresh sprouts mixed with blood filled the air.
Natra and Sarah sensed it too and immediately shifted into a combat stance.
The trees opened up to reveal a forest lake.
Kian spotted the Sunlightland Knight group fighting a pack of wolves on the opposite shore.
”Natra!”
”──Lord Kian!” the injured Eleonora called out breathlessly.
”The Guild staff are trapped inside! They’re surrounded by a giant monster—a centipede!” she warned urgently.
”Understood. Okina, this mission is yours now.”
”Yes, leave it to me!” Okina responded firmly.
Kian sensed the life signs of thirty Guild members to the west, away from Natra’s position. They were pinned down by a swarm of enormous centipedes burrowing underground, unable to move.
The giant centipede was over four meters long, an insect-type monster that ambushed prey by tunneling beneath the soil. Its pincers delivered a potent neurotoxin, rendering victims unconscious within fifteen minutes and dead within the hour. For ordinary humans with limited detection abilities, it was a deadly foe.
(But with my power…)
Kian shifted to his vampire vision, his eyes glowing fiercely. The scent of blood from the Guild staff beyond the trees shimmered in red. He could also see the centipedes lurking underground, their life force clearly visible and tempting to him.
Drawing his Misty Magic Sword from his back, Kian leapt high, cutting through the summer greenery like a cannonball.
Unlike the wide-reaching Windsong Blade, which risked hitting allies, the Misty Magic Sword struck only its target and bypassed the centipede’s tough shell defenses completely.
Before the staff even noticed, Kian appeared above their defensive formation and sliced the head off a centipede mere centimeters from the ground. Though the creature could continue moving briefly—since each segment had a small brain—the severed connection meant it was effectively trapped underground.
Kian moved swiftly among the stunned staff, finishing off all five centipedes within seconds.
* * *
Returning to the lake with the rescued Guild staff, Kian found Natra waiting there, having already dispatched the main threat to the north. She casually held the severed head of a Skuguslow, a large, tree-mutated monster resembling a human woman from the front but twisted and gnarled like a hollowed tree from behind, with tentacle-like roots for legs. It was a carnivore that preferred men’s flesh.
”That’s a Rank 4 monster meant for parties,” a Guild member whispered, eyes wide with fear as they stared at the small swordswoman.
”It’s an ancient specimen,” Natra said calmly, “One stroke and it was cut in two.”
”Did you really defeat a Skuguslow by yourself? Impossible. Is Lord Kitsune truly a Rank 8 Adventurer?”
”I just approached normally and beheaded it,” she replied nonchalantly, handing the head to Kian.
From the water’s edge, Eleonora arrived, lightly dressed in a shirt and pants, supported by Sarah. She looked around at the fallen wolves in disbelief, wincing as she protected a bite wound on her shoulder.
”The wolf pack and the Skuguslow defeated in a single leap… such skill. Lord Kian, what about the centipedes?”
”I took care of all five.”
Eleonora’s eyes widened, her gaze sharp but cautious for a moment—just as it had been when she first saw Kian use ‘Pursuit of the Shadow’ against the Burgkain. She quickly masked her concern with professionalism and thanked him.
”Natra, Sarah, tend to everyone’s wounds. I’ll keep watch here.”
”Understood. Please sit here, Lady Eleonora.”
Dragging her injured foot—apparently pierced by a tree root—Eleonora sat heavily on a rock, her pale face showing the toll of blood loss. Sarah began treating her shoulder while Eleonora muttered, “I’m sorry… I never used to get hurt like this.”
”I’ll keep guard nearby. Anyone able to heal, please help with the wounded. If we push straight for about two kilometers, we’ll exit the forest. Our comrades are setting up camp there. Let’s retreat.”
Eleonora grimaced, “I was attacked by a mysterious female ghost. I haven’t seen her since being chased by the Skuguslow, but if she returns, we’ll all be doomed.”
”Lady Eleonora, I’ll handle that threat as well, but first, your foot needs treatment. John Ellis told me about the ghost. You can trust me.”
Eleonora sighed softly, “Thank you. And… I feel weak.”
A mustached Sunlightland Knight sitting nearby slumped his shoulders. When Kian placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, a sudden scream cut through the camp.
The magician treating the wounded was bitten suddenly on the hand by the same mustached Knight, who had abruptly risen with wild eyes. The knight’s teeth tore into the magician’s skin, drawing blood. Kian reacted instantly, rushing over and shattering the man’s spinal cord with a strike of his Misty Magic Sword.
”Ah, guuu…” the knight groaned, convulsing on the ground.
”Natra, stop the bleeding here. Make sure Linca and Rufna see this later.”
”Yes!”
Kian set the convulsing knight on fire, the smell of decay rising as the man’s body burned.
”Grandpa!” Eleonora suddenly stood, her voice trembling.
”Please stop, Lord Kian! He was my swordsmanship instructor!”
”He’s infected to the brain. We must cremate him to stop the disease from spreading.”
”What? Grandpa sacrificed so much for Sunlightland! To burn him like this…” Eleonora faltered, tears welling as she watched him turn to ash.
Sarah gently lifted the sobbing Eleonora, seating her back on the rock and continuing treatment.
”The biting disease has spread. Burning the bodies was necessary.”
Even the Guild staff nodded grimly. Eleonora hid her face, whispering brokenly, “Why… why did this happen? I’ve worked so hard for Izerland… why…”
The injured exchanged silent glances. Sarah stroked Eleonora’s red hair and spoke softly.
”Now, I will disinfect your shoulder wound. We will leave once I finish.”
”I’m sorry… truly sorry…” Eleonora murmured.
She thought bitterly of her noble birth, the harsh fall from grace after losing the Demon Phoenix sword and her post as Defense Minister, now stuck in this brutal land. From Maribel’s point of view, this was a test of endurance, but for her, it was cruel.
Kian had no words to comfort her. After thanking the others, he set off for patrol in the surrounding forest.
* * *
Later, the group successfully retreated from the Great Forest to the temporary camp where Rufna and Linca awaited. There, the infected were healed by Linca’s ‘Penetration’ ability. By sunset, everyone had recovered enough to enjoy some porridge.
That night, Sarah built a makeshift bathhouse, and the group washed away their wounds and grime. Some even smiled naturally again.
The next morning, though still battered from the forest crossing, Kian and the others moved toward the ancient temple in the north. Time was short for negotiations with the Beastmen Alliance.
Eleonora and Linca took Nue to reach the temple ahead, while Kian, Natra, Rufna, Sarah, and Sarah’s beetle golems led the rest through the dangerous marshlands.
Despite the hazards, no battles occurred. Rean hunted the Bloodsucking Kind near the gate, and those creatures generally fled at Kian’s presence.
Sarah cleared a path through the mud, with beetle golems carrying the injured. Their forced march was grueling but effective, reaching the ancient temple by midnight—a miraculous pace thanks to the Knights’ stamina and skilled Guild staff.
No one dropped out, and upon arrival, applause erupted for their commander, Kian. He felt humbled, knowing it was their endurance, not his own, that had carried them through.
He led everyone to the temple courtyard, sending Sarah and Rufna to notify the Beastmen camp of the Izerland delegation’s arrival. Finally, Kian exhaled in relief.
”Hehe, thanks for your hard work,” Natra said softly, removing her backpack.
Kian sat at the flowerbed’s edge, watching the negotiation team settle.
”Would you like some food?” she asked.
”No… I need to find Lady Eleonora. If possible, Umar and Demete, too. Then I’ll report to the Guild staff about Rean and the others. I must call Rean back from hunting and explain the situation with Ninini and Vestacia. How much should I reveal?”
”I think it’s better not to mention Rean’s spirit contract.”
”Yeah… Then I’ll go look for Lady Eleonora.”
”I’ll come with you.”
”No, please rest here for a moment.”
Despite Natra’s concern after crossing the Great Forest, she disappeared toward the Great Hall before Kian could stop her.
As Kian wandered the courtyard, he spotted a small silver-haired girl heading toward the left wing stairs of the temple. It was Serena.
He crossed the courtyard and approached her sitting despondently by the flowerbed.
”Serena.”
”…Kian.”
”It seems you couldn’t bring your mother back.”
Serena’s face twitched as if her heart was crushed, lips trembling. Kian tilted his head, sensing there was more behind her reaction.
”…Kian, here’s the money. Also, the money the beautiful black-haired person gave me.”
”Don’t worry about Linca’s share, but keep mine. You’re planning to follow Juji and the others to rescue Colinna, right? You’ll need it.”
Serena shook her head violently. Her short hair swayed as tears spilled onto the stone floor.
”My mother… she committed suicide. This morning, Juji and the others found her in the campsite cage—cold and lifeless. She drank poison.”
Notes:
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Nue – A Shikigami summoned by Linca. It has the appearance of a monster with a tiger’s limbs and a monkey’s head. Nue is a powerful but dangerous creature that requires a skilled magician to control.
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
• Demete – A male dark elf shaman and a servant in the Umar household.
• Serena – Wolfmen Girl
• Colinna – Serena’s mother.
• Juji – Male. Leader of the Wolfmen’s ‘Jinsou’. A skilled warrior with sharp senses and combat abilities. Relationship: Part of the Beastmen Alliance’s delegation.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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